Anti-static removal on vinyl LPs

[markshan]

I use a Crossley similar principle. Works better than nothing but I still inspect & use can 'o air to blow off.

https://www.amazon.com/Crosley-AC1003A-CF-Carbon-Fiber-Record/dp/B00PP902QI

Did you ever notice the vertical bar on the guard? That is there to swipe back and forth to "dust your broom".

 

[markshan]

For 15 years or so (until I mostly stopped playing vinyl, basically), I was pretty religious about using a Discwasher according to instructions.

I always know when I've bought a used record that was Discwasher cleaned because you can see the residue in the deadwax. That's okay though, because a good RCM cleaning takes it all away.

 

[markshan]

So in principle there could be some residue over years and years, especially if you weren't careful about quantities and procedure. But in that case you could you just wash the record with distilled water, a little Dawn, and a soft cloth, and then rinse it with distilled water.

The residue came from (as you pointed out) people using dirty brushes or brushes that hadn't been cleaned correctly. Then it's like cleaning the kitchen floor with a dirty mop.

 

[markshan]

In my humble opinion methods that apply mechanical
force into the grove can do damage and the more force that is applied to get down to the grove floor also causes the most damage to the grove walls by the friction to the grove walls
as the bristles are compressed into the narrowing vee.

This is exactly why a vacuum system is so preferable. The fluid goes deep in the groove, loosens the debris and carries it away when it is extracted.

 

[markshan]

Had to replace the felt mat on my Rega as it lifted off every time (sometimes falling off dramatically and dangerously). Now the static on my Garrard 401 lifts off the rubber mat on some records.

I found some benefit in using a cork mat, but it still lifts with the record from time to time.

 

[markshan]

Sorry for so many posts, but I've been aggressively working for several years to find the best affordable solutions and have tried lots of things. I'm also lucky to have a local group that gets together on occasion so we can compare and contrast. I haven't recommended anything here without having had great personal results (except that grounded brush, but I mentioned that).

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Thanks everyone for all the info; I’m now considering using a setup with Tergitol + Spin Clean; and then a distilled water rinse, followed by drying somehow to finish off. The anti- static brush may actually introduce dust particles back onto the LP (maybe vacuum the brush first) then use it- I’m not obsessing over this too much... am I?

 

[mandrix]

Oh man, that takes me back. Had some round thing in the early 1970s that didn't exactly have a reservoir, but had a plastic tube full of holes and filled with...uh...I don't know, cotton or something. You'd get the tube wet, stick it inside the cleaner and clean the records. In hindsight, I don't know if the water ever made it to the record, but maybe that wasn't the point.

Yes, that sounds exactly what I remember. THAT may have been the Watts Disc Preener, and I had those, but I also bought the ones with no reservoir inside, I'm drawing a blank on a name here though. The Army PX used to sell the Watts version, if memory serves correctly. Man I bought a bunch of LP's through the PX, they always had the Schwann catalog for you to look through, at least the PX's outside the US.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Then you need a super humidifier+ a steam cleaning. This guy is a fanatic using a multi-step cleaning method but its a short video.

Man that was intense - dude is freakin’ serious (but is a very cool setup.). Not sure what that spray for mold was (he said “this stuff”?) I liked that last anti-static brush he had that spun from the spindle.

 

[markshan]

Thanks everyone for all the info; I’m now considering using a setup with Tergitol + Spin Clean; and then a distilled water rinse, followed by drying somehow to finish off. The anti- static brush may actually introduce dust particles back onto the LP (maybe vacuum the brush first) then use it- I’m not obsessing over this too much... am I?

I can't stress enough how much better the Squeakyclean is for just a few dollars more. I've used both.

 

[markshan]

Man that was intense - dude is freakin’ serious (but is a very cool setup.). Not sure what that spray for mold was (he said “this stuff”?) I liked that last anti-static brush he had that spun from the spindle.

Probably Sporacidin enzymatic mold cleaner. I use that as step one on really dirty records. That's another advantage to the RCM over the Spin Clean, you can use whatever fluid is appropriate without having to change an entire bin of water.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Probably Sporacidin enzymatic mold cleaner. I use that as step one on really dirty records. That's another advantage to the RCM over the Spin Clean, you can use whatever fluid is appropriate without having to change an entire bin of water.

Thanks Mark, so do you use the Tergitol with the RCM instead of that ISO solution?
Hey you also apparently will get a Babs LP with purchase

 

[J. PUPSTER]

A little info from the LOC about static electricity
https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/how-does-static-electricity-work/

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I like these videos about ESD

 

[The Bushmaster]

$30.00?!? Way too much. I think I paid around $15.00 for mine. Of course mine didn't come with a box.

Elmer Keith...Yes. Of course. I hear about him constantly from my paper erraticating friend.

 

[markshan]

Thanks Mark, so do you use the Tergitol with the RCM instead of that ISO solution?
Hey you also apparently will get a Babs LP with purchase

See post #39. It is a Tergitrol based formula and since I often have young kids around I don't want to turn my kitchen into a chemistry lab. I use a 2 to 4 step process. For visually clean records (even new ones if they sound noisy) I do the Tergikleen and distilled rinse. If it is visibly dirty, I do the Sporacidin first as it kills mold and unlike the other fluids it suds up nice. If when vacuuming that off I can see fingerprints or other residue, I then go to a 50/50 isopropyl with a couple drops of Dawn detergent as a degreaser (in a 32 oz bottle). Then I always finish with the Tergikleen and distilled rinse.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

A little info from the LOC about static electricity
https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/how-does-static-electricity-work/

Nothing to do with static electricity or record cleaning but quite relevant at this point:

 

[fredblue]

Just found this one also, might give it a try- anyone have experience with this one?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pro-Ject-B...434806?hash=item2cc8bdacf6:g:Br8AAOSwbtNZ85au

pretty sure i have one somewhere and it was ok. although i recall the foam in the velvet pad didn't feel quite right. it was less spongey and a bit stiff compared to the v.similar one i'd had previously (by some other manufacturer who's name escapes me, i'll check later) so i didn't feel totally happy dragging it over the old records somehow, it just had a bit too much substance/resistance in the pad, more than i would have liked, you know?

 

[J. PUPSTER]

pretty sure i have one somewhere and it was ok. although i recall the foam in the velvet pad didn't feel quite right. it was less spongey and a bit stiff compared to the v.similar one i'd had previously (by some other manufacturer who's name escapes me, i'll check later) so i didn't feel totally happy dragging it over the old records somehow, it just had a bit too much substance/resistance in the pad, more than i would have liked, you know?

Do you mean a Disc Cleaner type (short fine bristles with foam underneath); not a Carbon Fiber brush right? And while we've got your attention for a sec. Freddie, what do you use for cleaning liquid? *and please keep it clean for our younger viewers

 

[atrocity]

That's not what it is for. A Zerostat is NOT a click removal tool. It is to eliminate static cling which draws debris on to the record as it plays. As a hairy armed audiophile I can tell you without a doubt that it absolutely works, but it has to be used correctly. You point it at the center of the record, IN YOUR hand, not on the turntable, and slowly draw and release the trigger. If you hear clicks you are doing it too fast (the slow motion charges the piezoelectric element). The clicks are put there to let you know you've gone too far (think torque wrench).

Yes.

Though I tend to think of it as a click remover in the sense that, as you say, it prevents the attraction of further debris. I guess that would be more of a click *preventer*...

If I have a truly filthy used record I want to digitize, I may go as far as:

1. Rinse it under running water while wiping with a Record Sponge
2. SpinClean
3. Nitty Gritty
4. Carbon fiber brush
5. Groove Washer
6. Anti-static gun

But, being Mr. Headphones for the process, I'll still hear noise and want to use ClickRepair.

I've done the wood glue thing a few times. It didn't hurt anything and the part where you end up with a "negative" of the record made out of glue is fun, but I never noticed enough improvement to keep me doing it.

From what I've seen on YouTube, playing the record wet with distilled water seems to make a pretty big difference, but the voices in my head make me wonder if that will eventually take the stylus off the cantilever. I have no clue how they're attached.